What Is WIDCOMM Bluetooth?

by Contributor

WIDCOMM Bluetooth software controls Bluetooth wireless adapters manufactured by Broadcom that are installed on your computer system. Currently, this software is available for Windows 7 (RC)/Windows Vista or Windows XP/Windows 2000. Once downloaded and installed, WIDCOMM can control almost any aspect of a Bluetooth connection, providing the user the ability to manage and secure all Bluetooth devices.

Definition

Bluetooth is a very low-power wireless standard that allows for short-range communications between Bluetooth-enabled devices. Commonly found in cell phones, Bluetooth allows the cell phone to communicate with the wireless headset as well as many other devices. There are also Bluetooth-enabled keyboards and mice used with both desktop and notebook computers as well as PDAs. PDAs and cell phones also use Bluetooth to sync up to and transfer data between these devices along with desktop and notebook computers.

Benefits

WIDCOMM allows for the seamless integration of a multitude of Bluetooth-enabled devices; allowing a cell phone to use a desktop computer's audio setup as a speakerphone, or a Bluetooth-enabled MP3 player (or cellphone) to play music through a computer's audio system. Once a device is paired with the controlling computer, almost any feature that device contains is now sharable with the computer.

Installing WIDCOMM

The Installation of WIDCOMM is fairly straightforward, with a readily available, downloadable file provided by Broadcom. Once the file is downloaded to your computer, locate the file, double-click on the file and follow the on-screen instructions. (See Resources for a link to the download.)

Configuring WIDCOMM

Configuring a remote Bluetooth device to work with a WIDCOMM-equipped computer is pretty straightforward. In most cases, all that is required is to open "My Bluetooth Places" and then click "Add a Bluetooth Device". Make the device discoverable and click Next in Bluetooth Setup. You will see an icon for the device in the "Bluetooth Device Selection," which you will need to click on, and then click Next. Now click Finish. (Please note - many devices will require an extra step where a security code will need to be entered. This code can be found in that device's manufacturer's documentation, or online.)

Security

As with any wireless device, security is a concern. A vulnerability report released by Securnia regarding WIDCOMM is rated as highly critical and there are also two advisories, one of which remains unpatched at the time of this article's writing.